Automatic car-brake



,(No Model.) G". L. AMES. AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

Patented Alig, 6,1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I CHESTER L. AMES, or CABERY, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF TO CHARLES RRUNNER,or PERU, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,567, dated August6, 1889.

I Application filed June 10, 1889. Serial No. 313,717. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER L. AMES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Oabery, in the county of Ford and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing, and the letters and figures ofreference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which thefigure represents a plan view of the upper side of a car-frame havingthe floor removed and showing the parts below the frame.

This device relates particularly to that class of car-brakes that may bedenominated automatic, and is intended to automaticallyset the brakes bymeans of the concussion contactof the draw-bars in a train of cars whenthe train slows up, the draw-bars being connected with the brakes bymeans of levers, chains, and rods.

Referring to the drawing, the draw-bars B B are intended to be of theordinary pattern, and respectively connected loosely, by means of strapsC C, to the inner ends of the levers L and L, extending horizontally andat right angles to the draw-bars and pivoted near their centers to oneof the sills of the car-frame, as shown. The outer end of lever L hasc011- I nected to it chain S, which extends horizontally to near thecenter of the car and passes around a pulley-block P, and returns to theend of the car near said lever and attaches to the brake-rod A, uponwhich it is intended to be wound in the ordinary manner. Saidpulley-block 1 is connected with the outer end of the brake-leverK ofthe opposite truck. The inner end of said brake-lever is pivoted tobrake D, and a rod Rconnect-s said lever at its center with the oppositebrake D. The chain S is provided with a coil-spring S in its partbetween lever L and pulley Pf.

S is a chain connected at one end to chain S at a point between saidspring and lever L, and passes around a pulley P, located on the underside of the side sill A, at a point some distance from said spring andbetween it and lever L. The opposite end of said chain S connects withthe opposite lever L through the medium of the rod S, (shown in brokenlines under sill A',) and supported thereby by any suitable means.

S is a short chain for connecting chains S and S around pulley-block P.This short chain, with chains S and S connect the brakerod a directlywith brake-lever K, so the brakes D D may be set by said brake-rod inthe ordinary manner in case it is desired to brake up the car when it isdisconnected from other-cars, so their draw-bars are. not in contact.

In operation the brake-rod is intended to be turned so as to have sometension on the chain and rods, but not so much as to hold the brakesset. When the tension is thus brought to bear on the chains and rods,pressure 011 the outer ends of the reciprocating draw-bars B B, oreither one of them, will opcrate the levers L L, respectively ortogether, so as to give sufficient tension on the chains and rods and toset the brakes automatically. The coil-spring S is introduced in thechain S for the purpose of making the tension of the chains and rodsyielding, so they may not break when the draw-bars are suddenly operatedby a concussion with those of another car.

As shown, the brake apparatus is applied to the wheels of only onetruck.

If desired, a duplicate apparatus may be applied in the reverseposition, so as to brake the wheels of the-opposite tlLlGlL- Theadvantage to be gained by the use of such apparatus is that by settingthe brake-rod so as to give an initial tension to the rods and chains,but not sufficient to set the brake whenever the train slows up, and thedraw-bars of the cars forming the train are brought in contact andreciprocated toward the car to which they respectively attach, they willgive greater tension to the rods and chains and set the brakeautomatically, and the brake will remain set until the draw-bars of thecars are separated from each other, as when the engine starts up, andinstantly all of the brakes of thetrain are unset, so the train may atonce proceed without the necessity of unsettin g the brake of each carseparately. If desired, the pulley-block P may be substituted by abellcrank or a straight lever, if desired, having 2. In a car-brake, incombination with the brakes of a truck, brake-rod, and thereciprocating; draw-bars, the levers L L, chains S S S, coil-spring Srods S and R, brake-lever K, pulley P, and pulley block P, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

CHESTER L. AMES.

Witnesses:

THos. H. HU'roHINs, K. C. HUTCHINS.

